Corn CRD projections

A more refined view of relative yields can be gained for the six states for which CRD yields were released by USDA. Relative CRD yields less than .85 occur in southern Texas, central and eastern Kansas, and southwest Missouri. Relative CRD yields above 1.15 occur in southern Texas.

Within the Corn Belt, higher relative yields occur in the eastern corn-belt and lower yields in the western corn-belt. Relative yields above 1.15 occur in Indiana, southern Illinois, and southeast Missouri. Northern and central Illinois, northern Missouri, and southeast Iowa are projected to have yields near trend. Northern and western Iowa are projected to have yields below trend.

Soybean CRD projections

A more refined view of relative yields can be gained for the five states for which CRD yields were released by USDA (see Figure 2). The lowest relative yields occur in northwest Iowa, central Iowa, and northern Missouri. These areas had relative yields below .85. Areas with 1.05 yields or higher include eastern and central Kansas, southern Missouri, and northeast Illinois. Indiana, parts of central Illinois, northwest Illinois, southern Missouri, and eastern and central Kansas have relative yields close to 1.0.

On Sept. 12, the USDA released revised projections of 2013 state corn and soybean yields. Also released were 2013 projected crop reporting district (CRD) yields for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. These projected yields are compared to 2013 trend yields to assess which areas of the country are having better relative corn and soybean yields than other areas.

Within the Corn Belt, the highest corn and soybean yields relative to trend occur in the east. Yields become lower moving west through Iowa. Lower corn yields in the western Corn Belt will push down national yields from levels that could have occurred had the entire Corn Belt had yields at or above trend. The worst relative soybean yields are in Iowa and Missouri.